Green Dragon
by riverrae
Summary: Ayumu's at a loss when Susumu slips further into the clutches of a Chinese heroin. Ayu's despair takes hold when she finally confronts the Chinese Dragon she hates so much. Warning: drug refrences, violence, swearing. Enjoy.


Green Dragon

Disclaimer: All mentioned characters are from Peacemaker Kurogane and are the creations of Nanae Chrono… lucky bitch… but I love her :P

A/N: Warning: WILL contain the thoughts of a female, so get used to it :P and may also contain drugs, violence, swearing, all that jazz. It's told from Ayumu's point of view, but I have added my own few choice words when it came to expressing Ayu's frustration. There are only so many times when one can use '_kusou_'.

"Ayu!"

Oh bloody hell, not gain.

"A_yu!_"

My little brother's in his bedroom smoking weed.

Getting up from the low table I turned to face the hurried patter of small feet. I probably shouldn't call his feet small, but Tetsu-_kun _has to come to terms with his small stature one day. I wondered whether the poor kid was small down there too. I knew that because of his height, he would get a lot of bullying from the other men about it; but he'd also get the favouritism of the Shimabara whores, so it's not all bad news for him. I covered the sudden laugh with my serious face. Tetsu-_kun_ seemed genuinely worried about Susumu, whereas I was tired of him.

Tetsu came rounding the corner of rice paper wall and stopped short of breath before me.

"Susumu-is-in his roo-room using-the Chinese-the Chinese herb again," Tetsu informed me between gasps.

"Thank-you Tetsu-_kun_. My but you ran an awfully long way to tell me! Sit down and eat something while I go up to him," I said through my usual happy self. Inside I was a confusion of emotions as I prepared a tray of green _ocha_ tea.

I left Tetsu to devour a cold bowl of stew from lunch.

I can't even see him because his room is so smoky.

"Get up, you lazy doll. It's already mid afternoon! Mr Hijikata won't be too happy to see you like this," I warned in my most serious tone, which isn't very encouraging, even to one of the lower peasants.

All I got in return was an empty stare from haggard eyes.

I entered the room and closed the sliding door behind me. There is nothing I hate more than the Chinese Dragon Herb. Every day it draws my little brother deeper into its spell; every day he drifts further and further from my reach. It's like it is killing him inside and leaving his body an empty shell. As each day passes he has grown less and less responsive, until now the Dragon has Susumu totally in its clutches. I didn't know how harmful it could be when I entered Susumu's room that afternoon. He refused any offer of cold tea with a grunt and a puff of smoke. I felt so frustrated and scared; I didn't want to sit back and watch my little brother waste his life away.

"Susumu," I tried one more time to stir a response. "You need to get up and get back to work. You're a spy for the Shinsengumi for gods' sake!"

The motionless figure lay on the futon in the darkened room, surrounded by empty bowls with which he prepared, while sober, that disgusting Dragon Herb. Susumu lay on his back, covered by many futon covers, Dragon pipe lying loosely in his mouth, a sliver of saliva running down the side of his chin. Those dark and vacant eyes focussed on me again.

And then they closed.

So I snapped.

"Get off your lazy arse, Susumu, use your brain!" I screamed.

Susumu opened his eyes and looked at me. I finally had his attention.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think it'd do this to you." I had first shown Susumu the secret Herb a year ago when the Shinsengumi had been in trouble and there had been too much pressure on me to do better in Kondou's own futon. The herb was my only release, but it had many side effects. After I'd almost lodged a cooking knife in Shinpachi's head I realised how common my mood swings were becoming. Luckily for me (and Shinpachi and Harada), I was able to drop the herb and resist the cravings, although it wasn't bloody easy. Unfortunately, Susumu had been into my stash for two months when I decided to get rid of it. Somehow, his body was totally dependant on the Dragon and its wonderland release in less than two months of stealing from my supply. And now he was just- nothing. He was lifeless.

"S-surely there are some boars out there that you can go and slay…?" I was totally out of ideas. He hadn't sent he light of day for two weeks now. I just wanted him to move; to get the hell away from the Dragon.

Susumu stared at me for what seemed like an age before looking away. His attention was now fixed on the ceiling above him. The tray of tea rattled in my trembling hands. I wondered then whether this Herb Dragon's blood ran green as mine ran red.

"I'm trying to help you out, so can you stop being a brat!" I screamed again. The tray flew from my hands to the far wall. Tea and water bowls shattered and sprayed water everywhere. Susumu was speckled in green tea powder so that now he looked like a European leper.

"No, it's time that you and I had freaking conversation!"

I stormed over to him and gripped his face in my hands, forcing him to look at me. "Look me in the eyes and lose that stupid fucking crap!"

I snatched the pipe from his mouth and flung it over somewhere. I didn't know what to do, I was so tired, frustrated, angry at him for being so stupid, angry at myself for giving it to him, scared that Kondou would throw us out if Susumu didn't pull his own weight, scared that Susumu was going to Chase for ever, terrified that I would _lose_ him forever…

"It's time you got off your arse and did something! How the hell do you expect to get paid if all you do is lay around Chasing the damn Dragon!? Don't you get it?!" My screams were practically rammed down his throat as he just lay there, gaping at me, my crying, screaming face inches from his own. Those eyes were suddenly more animated than I had seen them for twelve months, but I had preferred them vacant instead; they were lit with fear. His fear enraged my fear. I was so afraid of losing my little baby brother to that god-awful green Dragon that I dug my nails into his skin, trying to hold on to him.

Susumu's face contorted into a mixture of fear and fury. He fought against both my weight and gravity's as I screamed and screamed, staring right through his face, his eyes, until I could see the Dragon. It was laughing at me as my brother screamed at me. I knew that my brother's screams were a manifestation of the Dragon's mirth. I wanted to end that lizard's peals of laughter so badly; I wanted to rip him from Susumu to stop him tormenting my brother. Suddenly Susumu's form became the Chinese Herb Dragon that I hated so much. It was similar to Susumu in all aspects, except its features were sharper and instead of my brother's screaming, it was laughing. I hated it so much.

The Dragon suddenly twisted and I was thrown down onto the futon covers and screamed even louder as I held my grip on its face. My fingers ran green with its blood and its cry changed from fury to rage. It was mad; its green blood ran down my arms and felt cool against my skin. It leant towards me to see my face clearer. As it lowered its body closer to mine, I carried it over my head with a kick, still screaming. I don't think I ever stopped screaming that afternoon. The Dragon was thrown over my body and hit the tatami, winded. I leapt up, enraged, and landed on its chest. The lizard let out a sharp exhale as I landed and I wrapped my fingers about its throat. As I tightened my grip, it looked up at me, lost and confused for a moment, before uttering to me.

"Ayu…" it choked out.

My grip paused.

"How do you know my name…?" I whispered, two inches from its face, then: "HOW DO YOU KNOW MY NAME?!?!??!?!?!?!?"

"Sister, I … love you…" it wheezed.

"No, it's a lie! Release my brother!" I screeched. "It's a lie, it's a lie, it's a lie!" I reminded myself, squeezing my fingers around its scaly throat.

"Ayu…" the Dragon croaked.

"Get out of him now! Get out of him, NOW!" The tears were blinding my sight, but I could still see that damn Chinese plague.

Finally, the Dragon's attempts at fooling me stopped and so did its struggling, eventually its eyes returned to Susumu's own, just I had come to recognise them. He didn't make a sound as he lay there staring at me. My wrath had ceased, the Chinese Dragon had gone and it had left my little brother alone in the end; I had saved Susumu.

_He's back in his Wonderland,_ I thought tranquilly as I watched my little brother lie peacefully in his wakeful sleep.

"What's the kafuffle up here?" Tetsu opened the sliding door.

A gasp.

"_Susumu!!_"

Tetsu slumped to his knees. "H-his, his eyes..." he murmured.

What was wrong with Susumu's eyes? They were exactly as they had been before: vacant and lifeless.


End file.
